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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23301061">Charmed, I'm Sure</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/baking_bisexual_bitch/pseuds/baking_bisexual_bitch'>baking_bisexual_bitch</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, Drinking, Flirting, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rating May Change, Witches, human akaashi, slow burn but not too slow cause im impatient, witch Bokuto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 12:35:01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,288</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23301061</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/baking_bisexual_bitch/pseuds/baking_bisexual_bitch</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“Can I help you find something?” Akaashi asked.</p>
<p>“Yeah, I’m looking for—“ the man said and turned towards Akaashi, but abruptly cut himself off when their eyes met.</p>
<p>“Holy shit,” the man said.</p>
<p>“Is everything alright? What was it you were looking for?”</p>
<p>“Why yes, well, I was looking for the love of my life, but I seem to have found him,” he said, and leaned into Akaashi’s space.</p>
<p>“Going straight for declarations of love? Aren’t you at least going to buy me a drink first?” Akaashi said.</p>
<p>“I would, but surely someone else would snatch you up right here in this bookshop while I sat and wasted away at some bar."</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru, Sawamura Daichi/Sugawara Koushi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>56</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The first thing that struck Akaashi about the man was his hair. It was long, pulled back into a loose bun, which by itself wouldn’t be uncommon for the more liberated man of today, but the dye job was unlike any Akaashi had ever seen. Bright silver, almost white, dyed hair contrasted with the man’s black roots. It looked like the perfect type of hair to run your hand through, silky and smooth.</p>
<p>“Can I help you find something?” Akaashi asked.</p>
<p>“Yeah, I’m looking for—“ the man said and turned towards Akaashi, but abruptly cut himself off when their eyes met.</p>
<p>“Holy shit,” the man said.</p>
<p>“Is everything alright? What was it you were looking for?”</p>
<p>The second strange thing Akaashi noticed about the man were his eyes, golden like the depths of a honey comb, but dangerous too, there was something animalistic in his gaze.</p>
<p>The man recovered from his surprise and smirked.</p>
<p>“Why yes, well, I was looking for the love of my life, but I seem to have found him,” he said, and leaned into Akaashi’s space.</p>
<p>Akaashi would have sworn his jaw hit the floor. He wasn’t unaccustomed to getting hit on, he was enough of a realist to know that he was considered attractive to people of all genders, but he wasn’t used to something so direct and with so little tact.</p>
<p>“Going straight for declarations of love? Aren’t you at least going to buy me a drink first?” Akaashi said.</p>
<p>“I would, but surely someone else would snatch you up right here in this bookshop while I sat and wasted away at some bar,” The man said and dramatically flung his arm across his eyes. </p>
<p>The third strange thing that Akaashi noticed about the man were his nails. They were quite long for a man’s, and painted obsidian black. They looked more like talons than nails.</p>
<p>“How do you know I haven’t <em>already</em> been snatched up?” Akaashi said.</p>
<p>“Oh darling, you’re far too pretty not to be available.”</p>
<p>“Ha! But just before you said I was too pretty to be single, now you say the opposite.”</p>
<p>“I only mean you’re far too tempting to not be allowed to flirt with,” the man reasoned, as if that made any more sense than anything else he had said.</p>
<p>“I don’t even know your name,” Akaashi said.</p>
<p>“Bokuto. Bokuto Koutarou, what’s yours?”</p>
<p>“I didn’t agree to tell you that,” Akaashi said, suddenly glad he worked at such a small bookstore that he didn’t have to wear a nametag. The way the man, Bokuto, pouted at Akaashi’s response made something spark low in his stomach.</p>
<p>“Not fair,” Bokuto said.</p>
<p>“You shouldn’t give your name away for free if you wanted mine in response,” Akaashi said, and moved a step closer to the taller man.</p>
<p>Bokuto’s eyes widened impossibly large at Akaashi’s words, and he stumbled backwards.</p>
<p>“Oh my god, are you a fairy?” Bokuto asked.</p>
<p>That particular combination of words made Akaashi’s brain want to explode. Instead he took a deep breath to stop himself from yelling his next words.</p>
<p>“Are you telling me that you’ve been flirting with me this whole time and you’re not fucking gay?” All the laughter was gone from Akaashi’s voice.</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>“I mean you’re only just now asking me if I’m gay? By calling me a fairy no less! I don’t think I’ve heard that one since high school, and I don’t really care for it.”</p>
<p>Bokuto burst out laughing.</p>
<p>“I—I didn’t mean it l-like that,” he said between his giggles.</p>
<p>“How else could you possibly mean it? Stop laughing this is serious!”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” Bokuto raised his hands in a placating gesture, but he was still laughing about the whole ordeal.</p>
<p>Akaashi was about to continue his yelling, but he was interrupted by his boss’s voice.</p>
<p>“Akaashi,” Oikawa said, quietly but with a voice full of steel. “Don’t you have some shelves to stock or something?” His tone switched back to a sugary lilt as he gently placed his hand on Akaashi’s back. “We wouldn’t want to cause a commotion in the philosophy section now would we?”</p>
<p>Akaashi turned to follow Oikawa, but still heard Bokuto’s whisper of his newly acquired name.</p>
<p>“Akaashi. Akaaaashi. Akaaaaashhhiii,” Bokuto sounded out, playing at his lips with his sharp finger nails as the syllables slid round his tongue.</p>
<p>Akaashi obediently followed Oikawa all the way to the counter before shaking off his hand.</p>
<p>“That guy was a fucking homophobe or something?!”</p>
<p>“Or something?” Suga asked, who was currently working the register, or would be working the register if they had any costumers at the moment.</p>
<p>“Oh my god Akaashi why didn’t you say something?” Oikawa practically shrieked. “I would have hexed him! I thought you were just being a dramatic bitch and driving away costumers like usual.”</p>
<p>“Don’t call me a bitch.”</p>
<p>“What do you mean ‘or something?’” Suga repeated.</p>
<p>“I’m serious don’t call me a bitch.”</p>
<p>“I won’t tolerate homophobia in this store! That man will rue the day he set foot onto my goddamn gay establishment!” Oikawa declared.</p>
<p>“How dare you call me dramatic when act like this 90% of the time?”</p>
<p>“WHAT DID YOU MEAN BY ‘OR SOMETHING’ AKAASHI, WAS THE MAN HOMOPHOBIC OR NOT?!” Suga yelled over the two of them, effectively silencing their antics.</p>
<p>“I mean, we were kind of flirting, and it was all going great, and then he said some homophobic shit.”</p>
<p>“He was hitting on you?” Oikawa said, all his righteous gay fury replaced with curiosity.</p>
<p>“Yeah.”</p>
<p>“But he was homophobic?”</p>
<p>“Maybe?”</p>
<p>Oikawa squinted his eyes dubiously. “It would be odd for a man in a skirt to be homophobic.”</p>
<p>“He wasn’t wearing a skirt,” Akaashi said, trying to remember what Bokuto <em>had </em>been wearing. “Was he?”</p>
<p>“Of course he was! How could you possibly not notice a six foot two man was wearing a skirt that short?” Oikawa said.</p>
<p>“I was distracted.”</p>
<p>“By what?”</p>
<p>“…His eyes?”</p>
<p>Suga and Oikawa both started laughing.</p>
<p>“In my defense they were gold! And very beautiful.”</p>
<p>“Oh Akaashi, have you got a crush?” Suga teased.</p>
<p>“I thought so,” Akaashi said, “but then this guy went and asked me if I was a <em>fairy</em>, how rude is that?”</p>
<p>Suga and Oikawa exchanged a look of recognition and then redoubled their laughter.</p>
<p>“What? What’s going on?”</p>
<p>“Nothing, nothing,” Suga waved his hand as if to dispel Akaashi’s questions.</p>
<p>“Oh my god, this is too rich,” Oikawa said, wiping at the corners of his eyes.</p>
<p>“What?! What aren’t you telling me about this Bokuto fellow?” Akaashi demanded again.</p>
<p>“Bokuto?” Oikawa abruptly stopped laughing.</p>
<p>“Yes, he said his name was Bokuto Koutarou. Do you know him?”</p>
<p>“I know <em>of </em>him; I’d never met the man until today. He’s a friend of a friend…of a friend of a friend of a friend.”</p>
<p>“We get it,” Akaashi said flatly.</p>
<p>“He knows Kageyama,” Oikawa said, addressing Suga, as Akaashi didn’t know this Kageyama person. “Or rather he knows Kuroo who knows Kenma who knows Hinata who knows Kageyama.”</p>
<p>“I feel like I spend every waking moment with the two of you, how is it that I’ve never heard of these people?” Akaashi said, and was genuinely confused about the situation. Besides Oikawa and Suga, and occasionally other employees of the bookstore, Akaashi didn’t hang out with anyone. It wasn’t that he was introverted, but it took a long time for him to open up to people and show his unabashed personality, so he didn’t see the harm in spending all his time with people he already knew and trusted.</p>
<p>“Trust me, I don’t voluntarily spend time with Kageyama or his little boy toy,” Oikawa said and crossed his arms.</p>
<p>“Don’t call Hinata that,” Suga said sternly.</p>
<p>Akaashi pressed his fingers to his temples.</p>
<p>“What the fuck are you guys talking about? And what aren’t you telling me about Bokuto?”</p>
<p>“Doesn’t matter,” Oikawa said.</p>
<p>“It does to me. What do you know about him?”</p>
<p>“It’s really nothing Keiji,” Suga said.</p>
<p>“Like hell it isn’t!” Akaashi said, he was about to go in another tirade when the bell chimed to signal a new customer had entered.</p>
<p>Oikawa and Akaashi cleared away from the counter. Oikawa approached the customer and asked in his best charming voice if they needed help finding anything. Akaashi actually did go stock shelves, but he couldn’t shake Bokuto from his thoughts. He kept pestering Suga and Oikawa about it, but they remained elusive and vague with their answers, which only made Akaashi dwell on Bokuto even more.</p>
<p>When Akaashi was still thinking about Bokuto a week later he admitted to himself that he might have a bit of an obsession. He was lost in thoughts like these as he spaced off at work when the bell chimed and a familiar voice rang through the shop.</p>
<p>“Akaaaaaashi!” Bokuto boomed as he walked right up to the counter where a stunned Akaashi was sitting.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>“I’ve got a bone to pick with you.”<br/>“I’ve got a bone you can pick at all you—“<br/>“Bokuto!”<br/>“In my defense you said ‘bone’, how could I not take that and run?”<br/>“You better start running if you don’t explain yourself.”</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>WOooooo I'm baaaack. This is the longest single chapter of a fic I've written to date, it starts off right were the last chapter ended. Hope you enjoy!!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Akaashi’s eyes widened, he’d just been thinking about Bokuto and here he was, in the flesh and looking like a modern day grim reaper. Today Bokuto was wearing a long black skirt, and a wide brimmed black hat, Akaashi almost didn’t recognize him with the ridiculous thing precariously perched on his head.</p>
<p>“What are you doing here?”                                                                  </p>
<p>“Oh darling, don’t tell me you forgot me already,” Bokuto said, smooth as ever.</p>
<p>“None of that, I’ve got a bone to pick with you.”</p>
<p>“I’ve got a bone you can pick at all you—“</p>
<p>“Bokuto!”</p>
<p>“In my defense you said ‘bone’, how could I not take that and run?”</p>
<p>“You better start running if you don’t explain yourself.”</p>
<p>“What’s there to explain?” Bokuto said, genuinely confused.</p>
<p>Akaashi sighed, “First of all, before we go any further, you’re not like…homophobic right?”</p>
<p>Bokuto shook his head vigorously, but said nothing, allowing Akaashi to continue his scolding. <em>Smart boy, </em>Akaashi thought.</p>
<p>“And second of all, how do you know Oikawa and Suga?”</p>
<p>That question clearly surprised the other man.</p>
<p>“I don’t know anybody named Oikawa,” Bokuto said, and Akaashi leveled him with a scowl. “I swear on my life,” he added. “As for a Suga…you mean Daichi’s Suga?”</p>
<p>“You know Daichi?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, he hangs out with my mate Kuroo, and his boyfriend Suga sometimes tags along.”</p>
<p>“Suga works here,” Akaashi explained.</p>
<p>“For real?”</p>
<p>Akaashi nods, “I can’t believe you don’t know that if you're acquainted with him.” Akaashi himself felt like he spent all his time at work, and Suga was an even harder worker than him.</p>
<p>“I’m not really close with Suga,” Bokuto said, “or Daichi for that matter. Don’t get me wrong, they’re great guys, but I don’t spend much time with them.”</p>
<p>Akaashi mulled this over. It still didn’t really explain why Suga and Oikawa had acted so weird about the whole situation. Akaashi wanted to interrogate Bokuto about it, but he didn’t really know what <em>it </em>was. He couldn’t put his finger on what was so strange about Bokuto, something Suga and Oikawa could see clearly.</p>
<p>“Did you have anything else you need me to clear up?”</p>
<p>Akaashi wanted to ask another question, but he couldn’t begin to put into words all his suspicions and confusions.</p>
<p>“I suppose not…” he said begrudgingly. “So, why are you here?”</p>
<p>“I wanted to take you up on that drink you offered,”</p>
<p>“I don’t remember offering that.”</p>
<p>“You certainly did! Or at least offered to let me buy you one. I’m sure of it, you said ‘buy me a drink first, you absolute hunk.’” Bokuto said, pitching his voice low to imitate Akaashi’s usual murmur.</p>
<p>“That doesn’t sound like me,” said Akaashi, laughing.</p>
<p>“Trust me, my memory is second only to my looks.”</p>
<p>Akaashi thought about it for a moment. He thought of telling Bokuto when he got off work, to meet him in some shitty bar, where they’d have one too many, Akaashi would get too handsy as Bokuto called a cab, running his hands down his muscular chest…</p>
<p>“Akaaaashi?”</p>
<p>Akaashi snapped back to his senses, lowing the hand that had been absentmindedly worrying at his bottom lip.</p>
<p>“Oh, sorry,” Akaashi said.</p>
<p>
  <em>This really is a horrible idea. I have to tell him no.</em>
</p>
<p>“I get off work at 6 today,” was what he said instead.</p>
<p>Bokuto beamed, and Akaashi forgot all the regret he was supposed to be feeling. Bokuto’s smile lit up his whole face, seemed to light up the whole room. Akaashi wondered why someone with such a bubbly personality wore so much black.</p>
<p>“I’ll pick you up then?”</p>
<p>“Good, I’ll be on the bench outside,” Akaashi said. “Now move along you’re distracting me from work.”</p>
<p>Bokuto blushed and shoved his hands into his skirt pockets. Backed by colorful rows of books Bokuto looked mystical, like Hades perhaps, in his black ensemble.</p>
<p>“See you later,” he said and turned to leave.</p>
<p>“Oh and Bokuto?” Akaashi said.</p>
<p>“Yes?”</p>
<p>Akaashi caught Bokuto’s golden eyes, and let his own slowly, <em>deliberately</em> drift down to Bokuto’s lips.</p>
<p>“Don’t be late.”</p>
<p>Bokuto inhaled sharply, mouth open, his expression caught somewhere between expecting and hopeful.</p>
<p>Akaashi turned back toward the shelf, pretending to focus on alphabetizing books people left stacked on the ground. He was acutely aware of Bokuto still standing next to him, still expectant.</p>
<p>When he left Akaashi listened to his receding footsteps, counted six of them before Bokuto said,</p>
<p>“I won’t.”</p><hr/>
<p>Time flew by for the rest of work. Akaashi barely heard anything his coworkers or customers said to him. His thoughts drifted elsewhere, to seedy bars and handsome strangers. Akaashi’s thoughts spiraled into anxieties and fantasies.</p>
<p>How does one impress a man who was so mysterious? How could he get Bokuto to look at him the way he sometimes did, with fire in his eyes? Or say his name the way he sometimes did, all stretched out, <em>Akaaashi, Akaaaashi….Akaaaaaashi.</em></p>
<p>“Akaashi, Akaashi” Oikawa’s voice sliced through his daydreams. “Hello? Earth to Akaashi, are you in there?”</p>
<p>“Yeah? What? Sorry, I was just…uh, thinking,” Akaashi said, and was immediately overcome with the urge to hit himself in the forehead.</p>
<p>“Uh-huh, sure. Listen regardless of what’s going on with you—“</p>
<p>“It’s really nothing—“</p>
<p>Oikawa held up a hand to silence him. “<em>Regardless</em>, I need you to lock up today, I have an appointment I need to get to.”</p>
<p>“What? No I can’t today, can Suga do it?”</p>
<p>“Suga’s locked up by himself for the past week and deserves a break. What’s the problem, do you have a conflict?” Oikawa studied him intently. “Something you’re not telling me about?”</p>
<p>“No! Nope, I’m totally free, I’d be happy to lock up today,” Akaashi said, all too quickly.</p>
<p>“Hm, good,” Oikawa said. “But don’t think I’ve given up on figuring out why your panties are in a twist. You can’t keep secrets forever Akaashi!”</p>
<p><em>Neither can you, </em>Akaashi thought as Oikawa walked away.</p>
<p>“See you Monday,” he called.</p>
<p>“Yeah, bye,” Akaashi said keeping his cool until the door chimed following Oikawa’s departure. As soon as he was alone, he went rushing about the room, trying to sweep and check on everything as quickly as possible.</p>
<p>He glanced at his watch when he was done. 6:12 it read, he hoped Bokuto hadn’t been waiting long. Akaashi fumbled with the keys in his hurry to lock up, dropping them twice before succeeding.</p>
<p>He walked quickly to the street, nervously patting down his hair along the way. His arms felt shakey with the excitement, his fingers trembled where they pulled at his curls. The bench they were supposed to meet at came into sight all to quickly. It was empty.</p>
<p>Akaashi’s heart sank. He glanced around for nearby parked or idling cars, but the street was deserted. Akaashi checked the time again, 6:15. He pursed his lips, he’d been so eager to see Bokuto it hadn’t even occurred to him that he might get stood up.</p>
<p><em>I’ll give him until 6:25, </em>Akaashi thought as he perched on the bench. He sat upright, hands folded patiently in his lap as he waited. He refused to pass the time on his phone, determined to stew in his boredom and bitterness.</p>
<p>Each car that approached made Akaashi’s heart race, and sink when it passed. With each minute that went by Akaashi’s irritation grew.</p>
<p>At 6:26 Akaashi stood to leave. He chewed at his lip and paced around the bench.</p>
<p><em>What if something happened to Bokuto but he’s getting here as fast as he can?</em> A hopeful part of Akaashi said. <em>What if something happened to Bokuto and he fucking died and he’s never coming? </em>An unhopeful part of Akaashi responded.</p>
<p>“Goddamn it,” he said aloud. <em>I’ll give him until 6:30 and then I’ll leave for real.</em></p>
<p>Akaashi sat back down and waited, still upright with perfect posture, still ruminating in his bitterness.</p>
<p>Bokuto pulled up at 6:32 in a black car. He rolled down his window to talk to Akaashi.</p>
<p>“You’re late!” Akaashi said, before he had a chance to speak.</p>
<p>“I know, I know! Get in, I’ll explain.”</p>
<p>Akaashi crossed his arms, “I could just as easily walk to my apartment and have a quiet night in by myself.”</p>
<p>“Akaaaashi, please! I’m sooooo sorry about being late.”</p>
<p>Akaashi had no intention of walking home, though it was a manageable distance. He squinted at Bokuto’s pleading face, as if still deciding on his answer.</p>
<p>“Oh, alright, but it better be a good explanation,” Akaashi said.</p>
<p>He climbed into the passenger seat of Bokuto’s car.</p>
<p>“I wanted get you a present,” he said, and held out a bouquet of flowers. </p>
<p>“Irises?” Askaashi breathed. No one had ever bought him flowers before.</p>
<p>“They remind me of your eyes.”</p>
<p>“But my eyes are gray.”</p>
<p>“I know, but both your eyes and the flowers are beautiful.”</p>
<p>And Akaashi had nothing to say to that. He took the bouquet from Bokuto with a nod, and inhaled the scent of the purple petals. They were bearded irises no less.</p>
<p>“Thank you, Bokuto, this was very sweet of you.”</p>
<p>The engine revved and Bokuto beamed at him.</p>
<p>“I’m glad you like them!”</p>
<p>Akaashi said nothing, smiling into the bouquet.</p><hr/>
<p>They pulled up to a bar that Akaashi didn’t recognize. He went to open the door, but was stopped by the flowers still in his lap.</p>
<p>“Oh no…”</p>
<p>“What?” asked Bokuto.</p>
<p>“I’m worried the flowers will wilt if I leave them in the car.”</p>
<p>“We’ll bring them in then!”</p>
<p>Before Akaashi could protest, Bokuto grabbed the flowers from his hands and was already headed towards the bar.</p>
<p>“Bokuto, wait—“ Akaashi pushed through the scattered smokers loitering outside and stepped in.</p>
<p>It took his eyes a second to adjust to the dark, but when they did he saw Bokuto already ordering at the bar.</p>
<p>“I’ll have the usual, plus whatever this gentleman wants,” he cut his eyes to Akaashi at this.</p>
<p>“Bokuto, wait—“</p>
<p>“Oh! And the largest glass you have filled with water.”</p>
<p>“Sure, weirdo,” the man behind the bar laughed. Akaashi got the impression that the two knew each other. “And what’ll it be for the gentleman?”</p>
<p>“Just give me a second!” Akaashi said, perhaps a little too harshly. Fuck.</p>
<p>The bartender raised his eyebrow.</p>
<p>“Sorry, I’m just a bit overwhelmed,” Akaashi said.</p>
<p>“Yeah, Bokuto tends to have that effect on people,” the man said.</p>
<p><em>I know. </em>He wanted to say, but that was too easy. “What, you’re like this with everybody? I thought I was special,” he pouted at Bokuto.</p>
<p>“You are special!” he practically shouted. “You’re so special, you’re a one in a million, Akaashi. Akaaaashi please believe me, you’re my soul mate Akaaaaashi,” he wailed at the end, doing a good impression of real tears of grief.</p>
<p>“Okay, okay, tone it down,” he said, although he couldn’t stop smiling. “You’ll make me blush.”</p>
<p>Then Bokuto was all serious again. “No, I don’t think I will…”</p>
<p>Then he reached out and held Akaashi’s chin between his thumb and index finger, with no real force behind it.</p>
<p>“I haven’t been able to make you blush yet, have I?” Bokuto mused, he sounded truly baffled and defeated. For a moment, Akaashi was sure he was going to be kissed and then,</p>
<p>“And anything for you, pretty boy?” They were interrupted once again by the bartender, who placed a pint of beer, and a large tankard of water in front of them.</p>
<p>“Kuroo, behave yourself!” Bokuto said to him.</p>
<p>“Uh, I’ll have what he’s having, I guess. Thank you, Kuroo,” Akaashi smiled as sweetly as he could, he really did feel bad for snapping at him.</p>
<p>Kuroo perked up at the use of his name, almost like a cat responding to a soft touch after dozing in the sun all day, with a purr and a glint in their eyes.</p>
<p>“Ohoho, be careful with this one Bokuto,” Kuroo said.</p>
<p>“What’s that supposed to mean?” They both responded in unison, to varying degrees of intensity, but the dark haired man only laughed.</p>
<p>“Pft, what does he know?” Bokuto said, and took a long swig of his drink, then unceremoniously placed the flowers in the glass of water. It was such an endearing gesture, Akaashi had already half forgotten about them.</p>
<p>It was then that he decided he would fuck Bokuto. <em>God, and I haven’t even had a sip of alcohol yet. </em></p>
<p>“You’re right Bokuto, if Kuroo knew anything he would know that you’re the dangerous one, not me,” he said.</p>
<p>“Hey-”</p>
<p>“And a beer for the gentleman,” Kuroo said with a flourish as he gave Akaashi his drink.</p>
<p>“Thank you,” Akaashi gave Kuroo his most seductive side smile, and licked his lips before taking a delicate sip of beer, never breaking eye contact with him. A lifetime of anxiety and extraordinary beauty had taught Akaashi exactly how to flirt in order to get what he wanted. Right now, he wanted to make Bokuto a little bit jealous.</p>
<p>“Hey!” Bokuto interjected.</p>
<p>“What?” Akaashi turned back to him innocently.</p>
<p>Kuroo was already whisked away by another customer.</p>
<p>“Nothing,” Bokuto deflated. He swirled his drink around in its glass and stared sadly down the neck of the bottle. “Akaashi, do you like me?”</p>
<p>“To be honest I don’t know you very well yet,” <em>but yes, I like you a little too much for my own comfort,</em> he didn’t say. Bokuto pouted and Akaashi relented.</p>
<p>“But I like what I see so far.”</p>
<p>“Good, cause I have a lot more to show you,” Bokuto said, beaming.</p>
<p>And honestly, Akaashi didn’t think he meant it in a dirty way, but he couldn’t help saying, “Is that so?” with an exaggerated smirk.</p>
<p>“I mean, not like that!”</p>
<p>“No?”</p>
<p>“Well, if you—I mean—uhh,” Bokuto looked truly backed into a corner now. He took a too long swig of his drink, and came up coughing.</p>
<p>“Be careful,” Akaashi said slapping his back, “I don’t want you to choke!”</p>
<p>“What, now you care about me or something?”</p>
<p>“Yes, I suppose I do.”</p>
<p>Bokuto smiled at him, and it wasn’t his face-splitting, nose-crinkling, sunshine-producing beam, it was a soft smile, a little smile, one he didn’t even seem to realize his was making. It made Akaashi’s heart seize up, and he had to look away. His eyes drifted to the bouquet of flowers, and then his heart (still fully seized up, mind you) did a summersault.</p>
<p>“So what do you do in your free time?” he asked, because had to steer the subject away from dangerous feelings territory.</p>
<p>“I do a lot of cooking, and hanging out with my mates, and just goofing off I guess.”</p>
<p>“Cooking? You’ll have to make something for me sometime.” Food was Akaashi’s love language, he couldn’t believe his luck.</p>
<p>“Sure, but you probably won’t like the stuff I cook up.”</p>
<p>“Why not?”</p>
<p>“I like to get pretty…experimental.”</p>
<p>Akaashi propped his face on his fist, and gave Bokuto a sidelong glance, “Well, maybe I like to…experiment.”</p>
<p>Bokuto gulped and Akaashi smoldered.</p>
<p>“So, what do you do for work? You’ve already seen the pile of dusk motes Oikawa pretends is a bookshop that I work at,” Akaashi continued.</p>
<p>Bokuto laughed, “that’s sort of a complicated question. I don’t really find I need to do that much work to get by.”</p>
<p>And the mysteries just kept on coming.</p>
<p>“So how <em>do</em> you get by?”</p>
<p>“Bartering mostly.”</p>
<p>“You can’t be serious.”</p>
<p>“100% serious, cross my heart and hope do die,” and Bokuto really did cross his heart to show just how serious he was.</p>
<p>“What, you walk into the grocery store and trade in a wooden figurine for a head of lettuce?”</p>
<p>“Something like that,” Bokuto said.</p>
<p>Akaashi narrowed his eyes.</p>
<p>“I’m going to learn your secrets eventually Bokuto, one way or another.”</p>
<p>“Promise?”</p>
<p>“Cross my heart and hope to die,” Akaashi performed the action now, in something of a mockery of Bokutos.</p>
<p>“So what do you do for fun?” Bokuto asked, so clearly trying to steer away from the secrets.</p>
<p>“I don’t know, the usual: watch movies, listen to music, drink coffee. I’m a rather ordinary person.”</p>
<p>“I highly doubt that.”</p>
<p>“I wear everything on my sleeve Bokuto, I’m just exactly what you see,” Akaashi said and held his arms out, as if to subject himself to any scrutiny he could undergo.</p>
<p>“Oh, but what a sight you are to behold.”</p>
<p>“Are you always one step ahead?” Akaashi said, leaning into the other’s space.</p>
<p>“Yes.”</p>
<p>“Do you want to get out of here?”</p>
<p>“I’m way ahead of you,” Bokuto said and finished off his drink.</p>
<p>They were out on the street in a manner of seconds, Akaashi couldn’t help letting his fingers trail loosely up Bokuto’s arm where he walked just ahead of him, swaying slightly.</p>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This will update sometime, I'm not sure when,  ;/ I'm also working on a new Tsukkiyama fic I'm super excited about so there's that to look forward to (if ur into that kinda thing haha). Let me know what you guys think of this chapter/if you like it. Comments really help me stay motivated, see you next time!!!</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Whew! It has been a hot minute since I've written or posted fic, but I found the first chapter and a half of this au in my word docs with no memory of writing them. I thought, what the hell, why not post them in this time of global crisis since I have nothing better to do. Honestly I'm as excited to see as you are where this story is going because I don't remember what my original plot was lol...but the next chapter is already started and should be out soon. Please leave a like, or even better a comment if you enjoyed, they really help me stay motivated. Thanks for giving this fic a shot, sorry I'm bad with tags/descriptions!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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